A Journey Through Time: Unearthing the World’s Oldest Bread in Çatal Hüyük, Anatolia

Turkish Necmett Erbakan University has made a significant discovery in the Stone Age settlement of Çatal Hüyük in Anatolia, Turkey – the world’s oldest bread dating back about 8,600 years. The bread was found in a furnace structure that was mostly destroyed. Wheat, barley, seeds, and a round, spongy residue were discovered in the oven.

Assistant professor Ali Umut Turkcan, who led the archaeological excavations, noted that this find is significant as it is the earliest remains of raised bread ever discovered. The bread found in Çatal Hüyük was a miniature version with a fingerprint in the center, indicating it was fermented for preservation purposes. Grain residues and signs of fermentation were also present in the bread.

The biologist Salih Kavak called this discovery an exciting one for Turkey and the world. Çatal Hüyük has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012 and is a significant Stone Age settlement that existed between 7500 and 6400 BC with a population of 5,000 to 10,000 people. This find sheds new light on ancient food preservation techniques and highlights the importance of this archaeological site in understanding early human civilizations.

The team’s findings have been published in the journal “Nature Communications.”